Fast-roping or rappelling is frequently used in military and civilian applications to rapidly deploy personnel from an aircraft to a location below the aircraft. Fast-roping typically involves repelling down a rope which is suspended from a support frame in a helicopter. The personnel may descend the rope either by gripping the rope or by using a brake-assisted descent mechanism. Under some circumstances, such as in various military exercises, for example, deployment of multiple persons in rapid succession from the aircraft to the accessed location may be necessary.
Therefore, a quick rope assisted deployment and extraction apparatus which is readily installable in an aircraft and enables simultaneous rapid deployment of one or more persons from the aircraft may be desirable for some applications. This apparatus may also be used to extract one or more persons connected to a fixed line. Lifting cargo on a fixed line may also be used.